The Albany Plan of the Union
Ben Franklin and the Governor of Massachusetts Thomas Hutchinson drafted a proposal for colonial unity in the face of the coming war with France. The plan called for the creation of new layers of government, including a president-general who would be appointed by the Crown and exercise broad powers over relationships with the natives, making war and governing the frontier areas until new colonies were created. A grand council was also proposed whose members would be appointed by the existing colonial assemblies and whose representation would be determined by the amount of financial contribution (taxes) paid to the organization.
Each Colony was able to keep its Constitution, but each colony had to send new representatives to a new council. The head of the council would be a president-general appointed by the Crown. The council would have the authority to make war and peace with the Indians. It would also have the power to raise armies, construct forts, levy taxes, and found new settlements.
Plan of a Proposed Union of the Several Colonies of Massachusetts-bay, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, For their Mutual Defense and Security, and for Extending the British Settlements in North America.
The Albany Congress formed a committee that was tasked to carefully consider the different plans and proposals. It finally settled in on Franklin’s proposal, with just a few adjustments and modifications. Among the members that comprised the committee included Chief Justice Benjamin Chew, Isaac Norris and Richard Peters. The proposal called for a general government that will be administered by a President General appointed and fully supported by the Crown.
It also called for a Grand Council where the members are chosen by representatives coming from the colonial assemblies.
It also called for a Grand Council where the members are chosen by representatives coming from the colonial assemblies.
The Albany Congress began on June 19, and the commissioners voted unanimously to discuss the possibility of union on June 24. The union committee submitted a draft of the plan on June 28, and commissioners debated aspects of it until they adopted a final version on July 10. Although only seven colonies sent commissioners, the plan proposed the union of all the British colonies except for Georgia and Delaware. The colonial governments were to select members of a 'Grand Council,' while the British Government would appoint a 'president General.' Together, these two branches of the unified government would regulate colonial-Indian relations and also resolve territorial disputes between the colonies.